Institute of Fundamental Technological Research
Polish Academy of Sciences

News

Mateusz Kopeć, PhD and prof. Filippo Pierini from IPPT PAN became laureates of the prestigious Science Award given by the Polish Academy of Sciences Division IV Engineering Sciences. Winners are chosen based on their outstanding publication, creative scientific study or a series of papers on engineering science. The awards are given to Polish and foreign researchers employed in Poland in the last four years.

Polska Akademia Nauk

Mateusz Kopeć Phd

Mateusz Kopeć PhD received the award for a series of six papers on hot stamping of titanium alloys.

M. Kopeć graduated from the Military University of Technology, Department of Chemistry and New Technologies (2010-2015). Between December 2011 and 2015, he was an active member of Materials Engineering Scientific Society at WAT where he carried out research on powder metallurgy supervised by prof. Stanisław Jóźwiak. The effects of his study were notable and M. Kopeć was awarded with a 2nd degree scholarship from the Rector of the Military University of Technology for “the best extracurricular work by a student of the Dąbrowski Military University of Technology”, and an honorable mention at the 2. Young Scientists Conference Knowledge and Innovation 2014 for his work “Preparation of abrasion-resistant ceramic – intermetallic composites using sintering method with the exothermic reaction”.

Since 2013, M. Kopeć has been employed by ZMD Department of Experimental Mechanics IPPT PAN, starting from the position of intern all the way to a researcher. By combining knowledge gained at the Military University of Technology with work experience supervised by prof. Zbigniew L. Kowalewski at IPPT PAN, M. Kopeć successfully managed to start his PhD studies at the Imperial College London, currently world’s seventh best university, in Metal Forming and Material Modelling Group. His study was sponsored by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. In July 2020, M. Kopeć defended his PhD thesis “Hot stamping of titanium alloys”. Having come back from abroad, M. Kopeć continued his research at IPPT PAN, climbing up the career ladder from being an assistant to Head at the Laboratory for Testing of Materials and Structures. His doctoral study abroad resulted in the official cooperation between IPPT PAN, Imperial College London, Harbin Institute of Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Military University of Technology, the University of Warmia and Mazury, and Wrocław University of Science and Technology. The scientific centres led joint research and co-published numerous science papers. M. Kopeć supervises MSc and PhD students at the Imperial College London, and three PhD students at IPPT PAN. Moreover, M. Kopeć is a Board Member of PTMTS Warsaw Branch of Polish Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, and Member of Promotion Team in Polish Material Science Society. His work at the Laboratory for Testing of Materials and Structures serves to promote IPPT PAN, along with his participation in various science initiatives and activities – the ICEM2020 conference, science picnics and competitions popularizing science, to name a few. He has so far received eleven awards for scientific and academic achievements, including 3rd degree Science Award of the Committee on Mechanics IPPT PAN, 1st degree honorable mention IPPT PAN Director’s award in 2020 for his scientific and didactic achievements, 3rd degree honorable mention IPPT PAN Director’s Award in 2019, first award for the best presentation at the 6. Postgraduate Experimental Mechanics Conference (PGEM) organized by the British Society for Strain Measurement, best presenation at the VII edition of the International Conference Young Researchers’ Innovative Ideas: Science | Start-Ups | Industry (IATI) organized by Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and at the 30. Sympozjon PKM by the Opole University of Technology. M. Kopeć has given over 50 international speeches, which now serve as case studies for his teaching duties. He runs `Scientific Writing and Effective Speaking` course in Doctoral Schools at IPPT PAN and at ITB PAN. He reviews for seven journals listed by the prestigious Thomson-Reuters Agency in Philadelphia and is a member of the Reviewer Board of “Materials” journal section “Manufacturing Processes and Systems”. At present, he manages the journal’s special edition: “Advances in Sheet Metal Forming Processes of Lightweight Alloys”.

M. Kopeć’s current scientific interests include high-temperature forming techniques for light-weight metals, monitoring fatigue damage development in power engineering steels, and mechanical and physicochemical testing of thermal coatings on nickel alloys.

 

prof. Filippo Pierni

Prof. Filippo Pierni received the award for a series of four publications on stimuli-sensitive nanostructural hydrogels.

Filippo Pierini is a Professor and the head of the Pierini Research Group at the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research (IPPT PAN). His research interests include biomaterials, drug delivery, light-matter interaction, and the development of functional fibrous nanomaterials.

F. Pierini received his M.Sc. in Advanced Chemical Methodologies with the highest grades and honors (110/110 summa cum laude) in 2009, and his Ph.D. in Chemical Sciences at the University of Bologna (Italy) in 2013.

After completing his Ph.D, F. Pierini moved to the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences (IPPT PAN) in Warsaw. His recent research work is mainly focused on the development of electrospun nanofibrous materials and hydrogels. During the last few years, F. Pierini I have produced several new polymer-based materials, and his studies have demonstrated their applicability in different fields, starting from biomedical application to photovoltaics.

F. Pierini worked as Principal Investigator (PI) in 6 research projects: (i) “Electrospun conducting hydrogel nanomaterials for neural tissue engineering” (FNP - First TEAM) is a research project which concerns the development of bioactive conductive polymer hydrogel nanostructured coatings for the improvement of the implantable electrodes performances and biocompatibility; (ii) “Stimuli-responsive chiral nematic liquid crystal hydrogel implants by electrospinning technique” (NCN - Sonata) is a project aimed at developing implantable intelligent materials made by combining electrospun hydrogel nanofibers and light-responsive nanofillers capable of modifying their properties (e.g. drug release) during the application of external stimuli (e.g. temperature and light); (iii) “Design, construction and optimization of a combined Atomic Force Microscope and Optical Tweezers instrument for single molecules and nanomaterials characterization” (NCBiR - Lider) aims at designing, developing, and testing a hybrid atomic force microscopy/optical tweezers instrument that, thanks to its potential and uniqueness, will revolutionize the methods for the measurements of the mechanical properties of nanomaterials; (iv) “Nanostructured light-responsive hydrogels based on polythiophene derivatives for photothermal therapy” (NAWA - Canaletto) is a research project aimed at developing polymer hydrogel-based materials with unique chemical, mechanical and optical characteristics. Realization of this biocompatible light-responsive polymer platform has huge potential for biomedical applications because the generated heat can induce local hyperthermia that results in irreversible damages for cancer cells: photothermal therapy (PTT); (v) “Sprayable multifunctional nanofibrous hydrogels for polytherapeutic wound healing treatments” (NCBiR - Polish-Chinese/Chinese-Polish Joint Research) is a research project aimed at developing polymer hydrogel-based materials with outstanding wound healing properties; (vi) “Multifunctional smart nanostructured platforms for light-triggered wound healing polytherapy” (NCN – Sonata Bis) is a project aimed at developing polymer nanomaterials with multifunctional properties for polytherapy application.

Overall, the research activities performed at IPPT PAN during the last 6 years led to a few important achievements like the publications of more than 40 articles and to the funding of 6 projects as PI.

Category A Plus

IPPT PAN

logo ippt            Pawińskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw
  +48 22 826 12 81 (central)
  +48 22 826 98 15
 

Find Us

mapka
© Institute of Fundamental Technological Research Polish Academy of Sciences 2024